Duplex machine for blocking and pressing hats



Aug. 29, 1939.'

O. SEIDEL l UPLEX MACHINE FOR BLOCKING AND PRESSING'HATS y Filed March l2, 1938 y 2 Shets-Sheet 1 1 14E/VQ@ O. SEIDEL Aug. 29', 1939.

DUPLEX MACHINE FOR BLOCKING AND PRESSING HATS Filed March 12, 1938 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Aug. 29, 1939 DUPLEX MACHINE FOR BLOCKING AND PRESS-IN G HATS Oscar Seidel,

Application March 12,

7 Claims.

My invention relates to machines adapted for blocking and pressing hats. But, in my invention I have devised new and useful designs in the construction and novel means in the opery ation and control of the various parts and combination of parts embodied therein. And ythe principal objects of my invention are: rst, to

devise a duplex hat-blocking and pressing machine thatl can be used to advantage by one l operator for increasing results; second, to provide a comb-ined manual and hydraulic hat press with a duplex base and two vertically movable pressure heads designed to carry individual operative levers and hydraulic pumps and adapted to counterbalance each other at rest or in operation; third, to design a hat-blocking and pressing machine less cumbersome and more efficient than the hat-pressing machines heretofore used; fourth, to devise a hat-pressing machine having a stationary base adapted to eliminate the up and down moving of the contiguous supply pipes of the necessary steam line in the normal operation of the machine; fifth, to provide a duplex hat-pressing and blocking machine with 25 pressure heads adapted to be locked down with one stroke of their operating levers, so securely that they will not unlock except by means of the counter movement of the operative levers; sixth, to provide means in my hat-pressing machine by which the hat dies may be preheated; seventh, to provide a quick release of all pressure on the hat when it is to be taken from the press; eighth, to provide means movable with the pressure heads for supplying the necessary amount of water to the water-bag of the hat-die of any prescribed size at the required pressure; ninth, to provide means of automatically syphoning the water from the die-bag when changing it for a different sack; tenth, to provide means of automatically eliminating the residual air in the dome of the pressure head as the pressure water is forced into the dome; eleventh, to make a hatpressing machine with a vertically moving pressure head operative by means of a lever with link and toggle connections adapted to raise and lower and lock the pressure head in its lowest position and having coacting mechanism adapted to allow the elevated pressure head to move downward While its operative lever remains in a vertical position.

All these objects are attained in my present invention; and my new and useful duplex machine for blocking and pressing hats is a practical apparatus embodying the aforesaid novel means and other new and useful details of con- Louisville, Ky.

1938, Serial No. 195,641

struction, arrangement and combination of parts, all of which, together with their functions, will' be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings and will be den-itely pointed out in the claims `that follow the description, said drawings being a part of this specification.

In this specification, therefore-Figure I is a front elevation of my duplex hat-blocking machine, showing the duplex base, with its two dieblocks and above them the two, vertically operatve pressurev heads. Fig. II is a side elevation of my duplex hat-blocking machine showing the relative positions of the two pressure heads and of their operative and coacting parts, as shown in Fig. I, in their actual service position. Fig. III is a fragmentary, detail View in elevation, of the hydraulic pump, the intake and exhaust pipes together with their valves and coacting parts. Fig. IV is a side elevation of the toggle guides and the locking, deviceY for holding the toggle up. Fig. V is a front elevation of the automatic toggle lock. Fig. VI is a fragmentary detail view of'a section of the automatic togglelock, showing the-installation of the release lever.

'I'his invention has been designed and developed in its various details for the general purpose of enabling one: operatorA to block and press hats more rapidly and efficiently than by any means heretofore used and also for the special purpose of producing ahat-blocking machine lighter in gross weight, less expensive to build and more durable in service than any other hat-blocking machine previously used or known. And with these purposes and the special objects aforesaid in view, I will now describe my invention in detail, pointingout specifically the new and useful features andexplaining the purposes and operations' of the individual vparts and the combination thereof throughout my invention, as illustrated vin the drawings hereinabove described, in which vsimilar letters and characters refer to similar parts throughout the several views.

The left pressure-head l and the right pressure-head I and their respective hydraulic pumps 2, 2', together with their coacting parts, are all suspended on the inner cable 3a running over the double sheave'wheel 3 and on the outer cable 4a running over the sheave wheels 4, 4', and the double sheave wheel 3. 'Ihe operative position and vertical movement of these pressure-heads are specifically directed by means of the round side posts 5, 5 and the square center post 5. And the elevation and depression of these pressure-heads are effected by means of the levers 'I, 'I' attached thereto. Moreover, these pressure heads I, I and their coacting parts, are so constructed that they counterbalance each other in the normal operation of my hat blocking machine. The water-bags Ia hang from the central part of the pressure-heads.

The duplex base 8 is provided with two integral, hollow die-blocks 8a, 8a designed for holding the die-adapters 8b, 8b' for the hat-dies I0, I0 in position to receive the respective pressure-heads I, I in normal operation. And the duplex base 8 is also provided with four legs 8c, 8c and a steamheated die-box II attached to the under side of the base 8. On the hinged door II a of said diebox is the handle IIb and the latch IIc. Now, the die-box I I receives its steam from the general steam-supply pipe I2, through the main valve I2a, the extension pipe IIx, the die-box valve I Iy and the nipple Ilz in the die-box. And the dieblocks 8a, 8a' also, receive their steam for keeping the hat-dies hot while in use, from the same supply through the auxiliary extension pipes Sax, 8am',

Mynew duplexhat-blocking machine is intended to increase the output of a single operator, who should stand in front of the machine, facing it, while the levers 'I, l', may be elevated, as shown at the left end in Fig. I, and we may suppose that the left pressure-head is all the way down and that the right pressure-head is all the way up. Now, to understand thoroughly the operation and the eiciency of my new duplex hat-blocking machine, we should put it to use in the following way: The operator, standing in front of the machine, lrst places a hat-die IU of a predetermined size into the die-box II; and, with the valves I2a, and IIy, turns the steam from the general supply pipe I2 into the die-box II and into the die-blocks 8a, 8a', heating the die IIJ in the box II and the adapters 8U, 8b in the dieblocks 8a, 8a', at the same time.` When these instruments are heated to the working temperature, he places the hat-die I into the right adapter 8b in die-block 8a and lls hisV tank I3? with an ample quantity of hot water, up to the dotted line Ia. He then properly ts into the hat-die I0' the hat to be pressed and forces down the right pressure-head I with its water-bag by pulling down right lever 'I' to a position near the floor where, placing his hand upon handle Ia of right lever 'I' to steady himself, he places his foot upon right pedal Ib and pushes the outer end of right lever 'I' to the floon'a movement which forces the forearmV .r of the right triangular-toggle r'yz down against the lever -'I, as shown in Fig. II, just below the dead-center of said toggle, a position of these coacting parts which securely locks the right pressure-head I down upon right hat-die Ill'.V y

We should bear in mind that while the operator is forcing down right pressure-head I', the left pressure-head I is rising; but the left lever l, as we have said before, was already up. From this movement it is evident that the lever of the pressure-head that we are not using, may remain idle held in its uppermost position. The reason for this condition and the Ways and means of eiecting it, I will shortly explain, as this feature is an important part of my invention;

Now, in the case of the valves involved in making and releasing the hydraulic pressure upon the hats in the pressing process, we should notice that when either pressure-head I left or I' right has been locked' downV on the hat enclosed therein, as for example, when the right pressurehead I is locked down on` the enclosed hat, as shown in Figs. I and II, the intake pipe 2x of the hydraulic pump 2', provided with its retaining check-valve 2d' on its lower end, stands below the water-line Isa' in the water-supply tank I3. And when we move the pump-handle 2a up and down, the water is pumped up through the intake pipe 2x from which it is forced over through a second check-valve 2c and its connection, through the supply pipe I and delivered to the water bag in the right pressure-head I' where the pressure, indicated in the pressure-indicator Ib is exerted upon the hat therein, until released by the operator.

Now, in the lower part of the right supply pipe is the right release-valve Ib held in its retaining position by means of an ordinary internal spring coil, as generally used in the common self-closing valves. And the release valve Ilbr is provided with a short crank-lever Mc to which is attached the lower end of the long, vertically-disposed link Illa which has its upper end functionally attached to the short end of the rocking lever I4 so adapted that when we push downward on the long, or handle-end of said rocking levelgrthe crank Ille' of the release-Valve is raised and said valve is thus opened, allowing all the water to siphon out of the water-'bag back through the supply pipe I5 and down through the exhaust pipe Ia, returning again to the supply tank I3.

Now, that the predetermined hydraulic pressure on the hat in right die I9', has been secured by means cf the hydraulic pump, this pressure, so I have previously said, will remain until released at the option of the operator. And he is now ready to give his attention to the next hat to be pressed; and this he will press in the left die-block 8a at the left end of the duplex machine.

But it should be borne in mind that when the operator removed the hat-die IQ from the preheating die-box I I for use in the adapter 8b', he, of course, placed in said die-box his next die to be preheated for service in the left adapter 8b. Consequently, this die is now likely to be hot enough to be placed for service in the adapter 8b to receive his next hat to be pressed; for we will assume that the operator is just starting his pressing work; and he now proceeds to iit his next hat into the preheated die in the left adapter 8b. A

By this time, the first hat being pressed in the right die-block is likely cured and ready for removal; and the operator will remove it, rst releasing the hydraulic pressure from the hat, by pushing downward the right lever handle of the rocking lever I4', a movement which, through the long link Illa opens the spring-pressed releasevalve Mb', as shown in Figs. I'and II, so that all the water .siphons out of the water-bag through the exhaust pipe I5a and returns to the right supply tank I3', shown in Fig. I.

Now that the hydraulic pressure has been removed from the hat in right die-block, the operator will next unlock the triangular-toggle rye by lifting up the right lever I to its vertical position, as shown with the left lever 'I in Figs. I and II. This upward movement of the right lever I raises the right pressure-head I up to its uppermost position, as shown at the left end of the duplex machine in Figs. I and II, and allows the operator to remove the cured hat from the hatdie Iii in the right die-block 8a. Moreover, this movement of these parts, also allows the left pressure-head to move downward upon the said next hat to be pressed, preparatory to being set down and locked down upon the hat to be pressed; and this locking operation the operator does at once, in the same way as he locked down the right pressure-head l', which I have previously explained. And, then, to complete the pressure on this hat in the left die-block, the operator applies the hydraulic pressure with the left pump as he did, in case of the rst hat in the right die-block, a process which I have hereinabove explained.

But, in order to have a clear understanding of the relation of the parts involved in this interchange of position of these pressure-heads, we should observe that the pintle-hinge 'lc of the lever 1, on the left pressure-head in Fig. II, is outside of the vertical projection line of the center of gravity of the lever l while in this upright position; and on the inside of said pro jection line is the connected toggle-lever 'Id and the heavy triangular-toggle xyz, all of which are tending to hold, by force of gravity, the left lever l in its Vertical position, as shown in Fig. II, in stable equilibrium, as it moves up and down with the pressure-head.

But if the operator is using both ends of the duplex machine, he has to swing the levers l and 'l' down to the floor alternately to lock the pressure-heads down at either end of the machine; and, as he swings the right one of said levers downward, the triangular-toggle xyz attached to the upper central part of the pressurehead i in a pintle-hinge lo' and coacting with lever i through the attached toggle-lever 1d', rocks forward, as shown at the right end of the duplex base-block 8 in Figs. I and II; and the back arm e of said toggle swings upward at its pintlehinge i'ld, pushing up the suspension arm l'lc and thus forcing the guide-knuckle I1' up to its highest position in the channel-guides la', la, where the spring-pressed latch I8 tapered at its lower end and adapted to rest in a predetermined position, slides over theV conical head oi the detent-pin I'lb' xed in the guide-knuckle il', and automatically locks said knuckle there in its highest position. A guide-yoke l'la is bolted to the knuckle Ii and its ends are bent downward and adapted to fit slidingly in the channel-guides, ld', Ita', to guide the knuckle li', as it is forced up and down by the movement of the toggle :c2/e', when the latch i3 is not hooked on the detent-pin Hb- When the latch la is hooked on the detent-pin I'Ib, it can be readily unhooked by pulling down on the camlever SSD'. This movement forces the upper part of the locking latch I8 inward and the lower end, outward away from the head of the detentpin lib. Also, alongside of either cam-lever l8b or 58h', I have drilled a small hole in the crossbeam 9, so that a stay-pin 9a may be placed therein outside the lever lb' to hold it down, as shown in Fig. I on the left end of the duplex machine and also in Fig. IV. This condition is desirable when the operator is using only the right end of the machine and the left pressure- 'head is running up and down idle, slightly overbalancing the right pressure-head by the weight of the guide-knuckle l'l and the attached suspension arm llc, while the guide-knuckle of the right pressure-head remains locked up in its highest position. The guide-knuckle l1, when thus running up and down unlocked in the channel-guides, i611, 16a, never slides low enough to come free of the said channel-guides, being stopped by the back-arm z of the toggle impinging on the surface of its pressure-head, as it rocks backward, when lever l is swinging upward.

Now, by means of this spring-pressed latch I8, the detent-pin I'lb` and their coacting parts, I lock this guide-knuckle up in that high position in the channel-guides, ISa, la in normal operation, for the purpose of having a suspensory attachment at a predetermined distance vertically over the central part of the pressure-head i, where the toggle :rye is attached to the pressure-head in the pintle-hinge ic. And attached to this guideknuckle l1 in a pintle-hinge, is the suspensionarm Il'c; and the lower end of this suspension arm llc, is attached to the back angle of said toggle, in a pintle-hinge Hd. Now, when we raise the lever l" from the low, locked position, as shown in the right lever 1', in Fig. I, to the high vertical position of the left lever in the same View, we rock the front part of the toggle xyz upward on the pintle-hinge lc by means of the attached toggle-lever ld; and the back angle of said toggle, attached to the lower end of the suspension arm I lc', swings backward and with a downward tendency. But, as the knuckle Il is locked in its highest position, it cannot move downward. Consequently, .the attached pressure-head must move upward until these parts reach their relative position shown in the left end of the duplex machine, in Fig. II, with the pressure-head l at its highest position in normal operation.

In this detail explanation of the construction and the movement of these coacting parts involved in the operation of my duplex machine for blocking and pressing hats, we can readily understand the special objects of each and the relative functions and purposes of the combination thereof. And we can see that no idle downward swing of the heavy, iron lever l occurs at any time in the normal operation of the machine. If the operator wants the lever 'l down -at any time, he must reach up and pull it down. Although, in the duplex, counterbalanc'e hat-presses, heretoforawhose pressure-heads are lever-operated, I have noticed the levers swing up and down with the counterbalanced heads making it very dangerous for a person passing near the machine. But my invention avoids this danger completely.

Consequently, with my new duplex hat-pressing machine, the operator may continue to work through the day, using alternately the right end and the left end pressing mechanism, so turning out more work than he could possibly do .on any of the hat-pressing machines heretofore used or known; the lapse of time required to remove one hat and replace another in the hat-die being considered sufficient time for a hat to cure under the heat and pressure in the opposite die.

The double cross-beam 9 consists of two separate steel beams cut to length and bound together with stay-bolts. Between said steel beams are bolted the ends of the bracket 3b adapted to support the double sheave-wheel 3, over which run both the inner cable 3a and the outer cable 4a. Between said steel beams, also, are bolted the saddle-blocks I6, I6', to which are bolted the channel-guides Ilia, 15a and the spring-pressed latch-hooks, I8, I3', pushed continuously one way by the springs ma, l8a and the other way intermittently by the hand-operative cam-levers 58o, i821. These double steel beams are securely held in their service position, parallel to the base-block 8, and supported a certain distance above said base by the round, side posts 5, and the square,

central post l5, by means of the cap-cleats 5b, 5b and the nuts 5a, 5a and the cleats and nuts (ia, 6a.

It will be noticed that in my duplex machine for blocking and pressing hats, the mechanism and parts on the right end of the machine are similar to the mechanism and parts on the left end of the machine; and both sets of parts operate in practically the same way. For this reason, for the sake of brevity and clearness, I have given the similar parts at each end of the machine, the same reference characters, with this exception,- in the left end of the machine I have made use of the plain characters; while in the right end of the machine, I have added to these characters the prime sign, thus for distinction.

However, it should be understood that the specific detail of parts of my invention which I have herein illustrated and described, are not to be considered as limitations of my practical mechanism; and that, While keeping within the scope of my invention and claims, any desired modification of these details may be made to facilitate production or economise in the fabrication of the parts, provided I keep within the spirit `of the invention.

Now, having described the various features of my invention, the detail construction, arrangement and method of operation; those features and combinations of my invention that I consider new and useful and representative of utility and efficiency, on which I desire Letters Patent granted to me, I have hereinbelow set forth and specically described in the following claims:

1. A machine of the kind described, adapted for blocking and pressing hats, comprising: an o ong, stationary base designed to hold hat dns operatively set in. either end thereof; mounted on said oblong base by means of strong vertically-disposed posts, a horizontal double crossbeam set parallel to said base; an angle-bracket bolted to said cross-beam; a double sheave-wheel mounted on said bracket and a single sheavewheel installed at either end of said cross-beam, to support a hat pressure-head and its operative mechanism under either end thereof; outside and inside cables whose right ends are attached respectively to the outer and the inner edges or said right pressure-head and whose left ends, running up over said sheave-wheels, are attached respectively to the outer and the inner edges of said left pressure-head, adapted for the support and operation of said pressure-heads in counterbalance; operative levers and a coacting trianguiar togglehinged on said pressure-heads; two saddle-blocks bolted to said cross-beam at predetermined places over said pressure-heads; vertically-disposed guide-channels mounted on said saddle-blocks; a suspension-arm attached in a pintle-hinge to said triangular toggle; a guideknuckle on the outer end of .said suspensionarni; a guide-yoke bolted to said guide-knuckle and adapted, with its ends bent downward, to slide up and down in said guide-channels; inner outer guide-brackets on the inner and outer D o said pressure-heads adapted to slide 1d vertically-disposed supporting posts to n alinement of motion in the pressureheads as they move up and down in normal operation; and a hydraulic press rigidly attached to the outer guide-bracket of either pressurehead, and adapted to move up and down with the normal movement of the pressure-heads and designed, with its coacting valves, to make and release quickly the required pressure for blocking and pressing hats, substantially as described.

2. In a machine adapted for blocking and pressing hats, consisting of an oblo-ng duplex base provided with integral die-blocks near the ends thereof designed to hold adapters and hat-dies for pressing hats; legs adapted to support said base in its operative position; a double cross-beam rigidly mounted on said base, resting parallel thereto at a certain distance abo-ve the base; a single sheavewheel for carrying a cable mounted on said crossbeam near either end thereof and a double sheave-wheel at the middle, adapted to carry two cables; two pressure-heads suspended from said cross-beam and said sheave-wheels, each pressure-head being provided with a water-bag and otherwise designed for pressing hats; a lever and locking means on each pressure-head, adapted to operate the heads up and down alternately and to lock the heads down on a hat in press; a manually-operated hydraulic pump and adequate pip-es with check-valves therefor, mounted on each pressure-head and adapted to raise the pressure on the hat in press from Zero to the maximum pressure required, within a few seconds; manually-operated release valves for releasing the pressure on the hat in press, from said maximum pressure to Zero, within a few seconds and a pair of cables connected to said pressure-heads and running over said sheave wheels and adapted, in connection with coacting parts, to move one of the pressure-heads upward while the other is moving downward; saddle-blocks mounted on said cross-beam in predetermined places over said pressure-heads; vertically disposed guido-channels rigidly bolted to said saddle-blocks and adapted to extend downward a predetermined distance over each of said pressure-heads; a spring-pressed latch-hook mounted on the front side of each of said saddle-blocks and designed to hang vertically in a certain position; a triangular toggle attached in a pintlehinge to the central part of the top of each of said pressure-heads; a suspension-arm attached, in a pintle-hinge, to the back corner of each of said triangular toggles and adapted to extend upward and to move to its highest position when one of said operative levers is pushed down to its lowest position in normal operation; a guideknuckle hinged on the upper end of each of said suspension-arms; a guiding-yoke bolted across the top of each of said guide-knuckles, with its opposite ends bent downward and adapted to slide up vand down in said guide-channels; and a vertically-disposed detent-pin with a conical head installed in the upper central part of each of said guide-knuckles and designed to impinge against the tapered sides of said spring-pressed latch-hooks, to become hooked upon them securely for raising said pressure-heads, as described.

3. In a duplex machine for blocking and pressing hats, as hereinabove described: an oblong,

stationary base adapted to hold hat-dies in either end thereof; a horizontal, double cross-beam mounted over said base, set parallel thereto by means of strong posts; two pressure-heads suspended on cables operative on sheave-wheels mounted on said cross-beam; an operative lever attached to the front edge of each of said pressure-heads; a triangular toggle attached in a pintle-hinge to the central part of each pressurehead; a toggle-arm whose back end is connected with said triangular-toggle and whose :front end is attached in a pintle-hinge to said lever; a saddle-block bolted on said cross-beam over each of said pressure-heads; a pai1` of channel-guides rigidly fastened on the sides of each of said saddle-blocks, and extending downward a certain distance toward said pressure-heads; a movable latch-hook strongly mounted on the front face of each of said saddle-blocks and adapted, with its lower tapered end, to hang in a certain position; a suspension-arm whose lower end is attached in a pintle-hinge to the back corner of said triangular toggle; a guide-knuckle on the upper end of said suspension-arm adapted to engage said guide-channels and to slide up and down therein; means on said guide-knuckle for engaging said latch-hook; a cam-lever mounted on each of said saddle-blocks adjacent to said latch-hook and adapted to move said latch-hook to one side to release said guide-knuckle at the option of the operator; means for locking said latch-hook back temporarily so that the hook Will not engage said guide-knuckles in operation; means for heating the die-blocks and hat-dies; means for applying hydraulic pressure to the hats in press; and means for quickly releasing said pressure, as described.

4. A duplex machine for blocking and pressing hats, of the character described, comprising: a stationary base provided with integral dieblocks; adapters designed to into said dieblocks and adapted to take, in normal service, hat-dies of various sizes; stationary steam-supply pipes tted on said statio-nary base and designed to transmit the necessary supply of preheated steam for the process of hat-pressing and die-heating; manually-operative valves on said pipes; a pressure-head provided with a waterbag and adapted to move vertically up and down over either die-block to press hats therein; a manually-operative lever attached to each of said pressure-heads and adapted with coacting mechanism to move either of the pressure-heads up or down; and means connected with said mechanism designed to lock temporarily either of said levers in its uppermost position, while its pressure-head moves idly up and dov/n as the other lever and its pressure-head are in normal use by the operator thereof.

5. In a duplex machine for blocking and pressing hats, substantially as described,--a combined manual and hydraulic hat-press with a rectangular duplex base; two vertically-movable pressureheads suspended over said base; a strong frame and supports for holding said pressure-heads in their operative positions; separate levers for operating said pressure-heads; means coacting with said levers and adapted to lock and hold either or said levers securely in its highest position, while the pressure-head thereof, may move up and down idly, as the other pressure-head is used in normal operation of hat-pressing; means for locking down securely either of said pressureheads in its service position pressing hats; waterbags installed in the domes of said pressureheads; means movable with said pressure-heads for quickly supplying water to said bags under hydraulic pressure; means for releasing said hydraulic pressure quickly at the option of the operator; and means for siphoning the water 4from said bags and the domes of said pressureheads as described.

6. In a hat-pressing machine of the character described, designed to press hats of different sizes-the combination with an oblong, duplex base supported by means of legs, a predetermined distance above the floor, of an enclosed steamheated oven built into the underpart of said base and designed for preheating dies for hat-pressing; an integral die-block mounted on either end of said base; adaptors designed to iit into said die-blocks for holding hat-dies of various sizes; stationary steam-supply pipes, with their operative valves, tted on said base and adapted to transmit the necessary steam-heat for the process of hat-pressing and die-heating; a pipe and valve system. designated to supply preheated steam to said pressing machine; a pressure-head provided with a water-bag and adapted to move up and down over either die-block to press hats therein; manually-operative levers with their coacting mechanism adapted to move said pressure-heads up and down; means attached to said moving pressure-heads and adapted for promptly applying the required pressure to they hat in the press, when the pressure-head is locked down; and mechanism for quickly releasing said pressure, at the option of the operator; and means operative with said levers forv latching either of said levers up in its highest position, so that it cannot swing down when its pressure-head moves up or down, as the other lever and its pressurehead moves up and down in normal operation; and a cam-lever for unlatching said latched lever, as described.

7. In a duplex machine for blocking and pressing hats, substantially as described,-a combined manual and hydraulic hat-press having a duplex base; two vertically-movable pressure-heads adapted to counterbalance each other at rest or in motion; a manually-operativey lever attached in a pintle-hinge to each of said pressure-heads; coacting means on said pressure-heads and said levers designed for locking said pressure-heads down in their service position, with one downward stroke of said operating levers, so securely that they will not unlock except by means of the counter movement of said levers, at the option of the operator; and means co-acting with the movement of said operating levers adapted for automatically locking either one of said levers up in, its highest position to remain there, allowing its pressure-head to' move up and down normally, while the operator is using the other operating lever and its pressure-head with its equipment for pressing hats as in a single hat-pressing machine; and means for manually-unlocking said locked lever, at the option of they operator.

OSCAR SEIDEL. 

